Potential Errors in Chinese Negation of Congolese Learners: A Contrastive Analysis of Syntactic, Semantic, and Pragmatic Differences Between 不/没 (bu/mei), Lingala ‘té’ and Kituba ‘vé’
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20961/mandarinable.v5i2.3955Keywords:
Comparative Analysis, Congolese Learners, Chinese Lingala and Kituba, Negative Markers, Potential ErrorsAbstract
This study aimed to use a comparative linguistic approach to analyse potential errors in Chinese negation that may arise among Congolese speakers with lower proficiency in Chinese in Congo-Brazzaville. It compared the structural sentences of the Chinese negative markers 不/没 (bu/mei) with those of the negative markers of Congolese local languages — Lingala ‘té’ and Kituba ‘vé’ — in terms of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. This comparative analysis sought to elucidate how negation functions across these languages and how negation, particularly in Lingala and Kituba, influences learners’ acquisition of Chinese. To achieve this, a linguistic approach was employed to contrast the negation concepts of these languages analytically by examining potential errors in Chinese negation. The contrastive analysis revealed that these learners may experience cross-linguistic transfer influences, such as the placement of predicate-final negation. Semantically, they may misinterpret the functional meaning of Chinese negation, often overusing the ‘mei’ marker to negate nearly all situations related to past events, thereby overlooking the distinction between static and dynamic meanings in Chinese negation. Pragmatically, these learners might misuse and misinterpret what speakers convey in specific contexts. This research has implications for deepening understanding of second language acquisition—specifically, Chinese learning within local contexts. The study highlights that acquiring Chinese requires a more inclusive approach that considers learners’ linguistic backgrounds, rather than focusing solely on pedagogical fundamentals.
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